Saturday, June 6, 2015

Conservation is a big term that covers a lot of ground. That's why we set aside a full day for kids and adults to explore conservation and sustainability on World Environment Day.

It's a day to learn about topics large and small, from climate change to the importance of butterflies and pollinators.

The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center will be buzzing with science activities from the rooftop to the rain garden!

On the Esplanade and at the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden, you can ask our horticulturists, staff, and volunteer experts about our gardens—and about what's happening in yours.

Come for the day, have lunch at the Garden View Café, and then put what you've learned into practice at home!

The Day's Key Events

Learn at the Labs

Meet the scientists and check out plant science in action at the Plant Science Center, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn more about prairie management and Chicago's native bees, and get a butterfly weed plant to grow in your garden to help support monarch butterflies.

World Environment Day Keynote

Join Danielle Nierenberg, co-founder of Food Tank, a global food policy think tank, for a lively panel discussion on the newest information from climate and weather assessments. We will close the panel session with time for audience questions.

Danielle Nierenberg has written extensively on gender and population, the spread of factory farming in the developing world and innovations in sustainable agriculture. Her knowledge of global agriculture issues has been cited widely in more than 8,000 major print and broadcast outlets worldwide, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, BBC, The Guardian (UK), The Telegraph (UK), Le Monde (France), the Mail and Guardian (South Africa), the East African (Kenya), and many, many more. Follow her on twitter at @daninierenberg.